Railway-switch



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. DILWORTH 8: B. LIPSEY. RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 535,164. Patented Mar. 5, 1895.

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v 2 SheetsSheet 2. J. DILWORTH & A. B. LIPSEY.

(No Model.)

RAILWAY SWITCH.

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JOHN DILWORTH AND ANDREWV B. LIPSEY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,164, dated March 5, 1 895.

Application filed December 1, 1894:- Serial No. 530,591. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN DILWORTH and ANDREW B. LIPSEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in that class of automatic railway switches which are designed to be operated by a device on a locomotive or car; and its novelty will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in connection with the annexed drawings-,in which- Figure 1, is a plan view of a switch embodying our invention. Fig. 2, is a transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the line to, w, of Fig. 1, with a car equipped with our improved operating device in position upon the track rails. Fig. 3, is a plan view of a detail of the switch operating device. Fig. at, is a detail transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the line y, y, of Fig'. 1. Fig. 5, is a longitudinal section taken in the plane indicated by the line 2, z, of Fig. 1; the car device being illustrated by dotted lines as engaging the switch locking device. Fig. 6, is a detail, perspective view of one end of the lever through the medium of which the switch point is moved, and Fig. 7, is a similar view of the locking plate which is designed to engage said lever and thereby lock the switch point when it is set for a clear main track and when it is set for a siding.

Referring by letter to said drawings:A, indicates an unbroken main track rail of a railway.

A, indicates a broken main track rail.

B, B, indicate the inner and outer turnout rails.

0, indicates a movable switch point which is shown as pivotally connected to a portion of the broken main track rail A, and D, indicates the lever through the medium of which the switch rail or point C is moved. This lever is fulcrumed at an intermediate point of its length as indicated by a, and is arranged to swing upon knife supports 19, and it is con nected at one end with the switch rail or point C, by a link as 0, whereby it will be seen that when it is swung upon its fulcrum, the switch rail or point will be moved. At its opposite end the lever D, is provided upon its under side with a reduced portion (1, which is designed to rest and move in the opening 6, of the locking plate E, and is beveled or pointed at one end as shown so as to enable it to engage the notchesf, in the locking plate and be held thereby in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The locking plate E, is by preference formed of resilient metal and it is connected at one end to a tie or other support andis bent or curved at an intermediate point of its length as indicated by g, so as to permit of its free portion which rests between a short rail F, and one of the main track rails, being depressed by a passing car device to release the lever D.

t G, indicates aportion of a car which may be of the ordinary or any approved construction, and H, indicates a vertical shaft which is journaled in the platform or othersuitable part of the car. This shaft H is provided at its upper end with a handle '5, by which it may be readily turned; and adjacent to its lower end it is provided with an angular branch j, which forms a bearing for one end of the axle of the wheel I; the opposite end of which is journaled in the shaft as shown. The said wheel I, which is provided atone side with a hub k,is normally held in a raised position by a spring J, interposed between the platform of the carand the handle 71; and when said wheel is depressed, it is held against turning by a key 1, on the shaft H, engaging a seat m, formed in the car platform as better shown in Fig. 3.

In the practice of our invention, when the switch is set for a clear main track as shown in Fig. 1, and the motor-man or gripinan of an approaching car desires to go upon the siding or turnout, it is simply necessary for him to turn the shaft H, of the car device to the po sition shown in Fig. 1, and depress the same so as to enable the key Z, to engage the seat m, in the platform and hold the shaft and consequently the wheel I, against turning. When the wheel I, in this position reaches the looking plate E, it will travel over and press the same downwardly so as to release the lever D, and will then pass between said lever and the rail F, and will move the lever laterally in the direction indicated by arrow, into a position to be engaged by the other notch f, of thelocking plate when the wheel I, has passed the same. When the lever D, is thus moved,

the switch point C, will be moved into a position to open the switch and will by reason of the lever D, being held by the plate E, be locked in such position until the plate E, is again depressed.

When the switch is set for a siding and the motorman of an approaching car desires to continue upon the main track, it is simply necessary for him' to turn the shaft H, of the car device and depress the same so as to enable the wheel I, to travel over the plate E, between the lever D, and the main track rail A. When the wheel I, thus passes over the plate E, it will first depress said plate to release the lever and will then move said lever in a direction opposite to that indicated so that when the pressure is removed from the plate E, it will engage and hold the lever in the position shown in Fig. 1, and will consequently hold the point 0, in a position to close the switch.

The hub is, of the wheel I, is designed and adapted to travel on the rail F, and the main track rail A, according to the position of the car device when it is depressed, so as to hold the wheel L-steady. When groove rails are employed, the hub 7c,in the position just stated, will bear on the inner portion of the main grooved rail.

It will be seen from the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the drawings that we have provided a very simple and efficient switch which is adapted to be unlocked and thrown by a device on a moving car, and it will also be seen that by reason of our improvements, the switch will be automatically and securely looked as soon as it is thrown and the liability of accident will thereby be diminished. It will also be perceived that when employed upon street railways, our improvements may be arranged so as to offer no obstruction to vehicles crossing or traveling upon the tracks, which is an important desideratum.

Wehave specificallydescribedtheconstruction and relative arrangement of the several parts of our improved switch in order to impart a full, clear, and exact understanding of the same, but we do not desire to be understood as confining ourselves to such construction and arrangement as such changes or modifications may be made in practice as fairly fall within the scope of our invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim is 1. In a railway switch, the combination of a movable switch rail or point, a lever connected with said switch rail or point, and a locking plate adapted to normally rest in a position to engage and hold the lever and also adapted to be depressed by a car device so as to release the lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a railway switch, the combination of a movable switch rail or point, a lever connected with said rail or point and a resilient locking plate adapted to normally engage and hold the lever and also adapted to be depressed by a car device so as to release the lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a railway switch, the combination of a movable switch rail or point, a lever connected with said rail or point and a locking plate having notches to engage and hold said lever; said plate being adapted to be depressed by a car device and being also adapted to return to and normally rest in a position to engage the lever, substantially as specified.

4. In a railway switch, the combination of rails or bars A, F, a movable switch rail or point, a lever connected at one end with the switch rail or point and having its opposite end arranged between the rails or bars A, F, and adapted to be engaged by a car device, and a locking plate arranged between the rails or bars A, F, and having notches to engage and hold said lever; said plate being adapted to be depressed by a car device and being also adapted to return to and normally rest in a position to engage the lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a railway switch, the combination of a movable switch rail or point, a lever connected with the switch rail or point and adapted to be engaged and moved by a car device, and a resilient locking plate having notches adapted to receive and hold the lever; said plate being adapted to be depressed by a car device and being also adapted to return to its normal position, substantially as and for the-purpose set forth.

6. In a railway switch, the combination of a movable switch rail or point, a lever connected with the switch rail or point and adapted to be engaged by a car device and having the reduced portion (1, on its under side at one end, and the resilient locking plate having the notches f, adapted to receive and hold the reduced portion (1, of the lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a railway switch, the combination of a movable switch rail or point, the lever connected with the switch rail or point and adapted to he engaged by a car device and having the reduced portion (1, on its under side at one end arranged between the rails or bars A, F, and adapted to be engaged by a car device, knife-edge supports arranged beneath said lever and the resilient locking plate arranged between the rails or bars A, F, and having notches f, adapted to engage the lever; said plate being also adapted to be engaged by and depressed by the car device, substantially as specified.

8. The combination with a car having a seat m, of a vertical shaft journaled in the car and having a key adapted to engage the seat m, and also having the handle at its upper end and the branch j, adjacent to its lower end, the Wheel journaled in the shaft and the branch j, thereof, and the spring surrounding the shaft and interposed between the car and the handle 1', substantially as specified.

9. In a railway switch, the combination of rails or bars A, F, a movable switch rail or point, a lever connected with said rail or point at one end and having its opposite end arranged between the rails or bars A, F, and adapted to be engaged bya car device, knife edge supports arranged beneath said lever, 

